“It feels like it’s been forever since I reviewed Sheen and Misery, the sophomore full-length from Ukranian depressive black metal project Ezkaton. It hasn’t—it’s been less than three years, but, well, a lot has happened, and I think less of it has been positive than most of us would like. And on days when you want to curse and hate and scoff at the world, Ezkaton is like the cold side of your pillow, offering cold comfort you can’t find anywhere else.” Pray for Ukraine.
“I don’t know how much the brand Ronseal means to people outside the UK but here, it immediately conjures an advertising slogan: “Does exactly what it says on the tin.” Sometimes, you come across bands that embody this. Nordicwinter is Ronseal. Despite being from Canada, it would appear that its very raison d’être is to deliver in audible form the desolate, lonely wastes of a single Scandinavian season – I’m not going to say it, you know, the one … traditionally between Autumn and Spring. Sorrow takes this to extremes, however.” 12 inches of Sorrow.
“The Realm Beyond is the second album from Germany’s Lebensnacht, a German duo, which has been active since 2008. They specialize in mid-paced, atmospheric BM, with a heavy emphasis on ethereal synthesizers, like early Wolves in the Throne Room or Lustre. This is all mashed together in an incredibly raw and harsh mix. Where Lebensnacht differs from many other bands is the strong depressive black metal element that pervades its work, providing an ominous air to the music.” Birds in the Mud Room.
![Ezkaton/Solitude.m – Campfire of None [Split] Review](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/ezkaton-solitude-m-campfire-of-none-768x701.jpg)
“From the dense, dark fog of Eastern Europe rises the unknowable Ezkaton, emerging from their slumber of… has it really only been a year? Alright, then. But this time, they aren’t alone. No, this time they emerge from the mists accompanied by… Solitude.m? Who are they? Hang on. I have some research to do. One second… no, can’t find anything. Solitude.m is about as mysterious as Ezkaton themselves.” SMOOOAAR blackness!
“It’s not often that depressive black metal comes across my desk, but when it does, I relish the opportunity to sink my teeth into it. The primality of black metal lends itself really well to the expression of misery in a way that other genres of music just don’t. So news of Cancer’s second full-length release, Opioid made me, paradoxically, happy.” Misery loves Cancer.
“If someone told you that their band was basically Xasthur but with no riffs, no vocals, less distortion and no variation in tempo, would you bother to listen? Thank heavens that labels have hyperbole to sell their records because bands like Hypothermia are lost without it.” When minimalism goes too far.
“A one-man black metal army of darkness – yes, like you I’m already cringing at the thought of spending a week or, God forbid, longer being tormented by fuzzed-out direction-less blackened murk! Somewhere in the midst of releasing their range of splits, EPs and their full-length (Worshipping Times of Old), German band Infestus switched from being a force of three, to being left to the power of one.” Madam X takes on the dank, dark depression of one-man project Infestus, will she end up cut up, depressed and alone? Read on and find out!
>Shining is about as hip as it gets among so called “underground” black metal bands, though really at this point, what with being signed to Spinefarm now, I guess they’re not super underground anymore. But whatever, success does not make a band sucky by its very nature—no, it’s Angry Metal Guy’s Law of Diminishing Recordings™ that does that. And with the anticipation building around VII – Född förlorare (English: Born Loser[s]) due to the myriads of issues that surfaced in the process of recording, mixing and getting the album even out, it pretty much should go without saying that I’ve really been looking forward to this record. Haven’t you been looking forward to it? Damn straight.
